As you network you will notice that certain companies or organisations are repeatedly suggested by your contacts. You will also have been researching these and other companies. Your next step is to refine your list of companies where you feel you could make a contribution and where, for a variety of reasons, you would like to work. You should then identify the one executive in each company with the capacity to hire you. This will always be the line manager immediately above the position you are seeking. We recommend that your dialogue, when talking to the receptionist, is exploratory and polite. You can always get reliable information about the people in the company and you will easily obtain this information by being polite and thankful for their assistance. This can help when you actually call the company if the receptionist remembers you.
Now make a point of checking with the people with whom you are having networking meetings whether they know (name the person in one of your preferred companies with the capability of hiring you). In your earliest networking meetings you were eager to hear of any possible contacts from which you could develop networking lines. Now your thoughts have crystallised so in your networking meetings you should start to be more proactive by deliberately raising the names of these companies and asking your contacts if they know the person whom you have identified as being your target executive.
You will be surprised how quickly you find a networking contact who knows the key person who could hire you in one of your targeted companies. This is the break you need. You should telephone them along very similar lines to previous networking calls:
Good morning, Mr. Smith! I’m Deborah Jones, a friend of Joan Stapleford, who says she knows you well and mentioned that she felt sure you would be able to help me. Do you have a minute? (Wait for an affirmative response).
Fine! I’m currently exploring new career opportunities. For the last 3 years I’ve been Marketing Manager at XYZ and prior to that I’ve spent five years as a State Sales Manager. I would really appreciate it if I could see you for twenty minutes. I’m sure with your experience in the industry you would be able to help me with your views on the industry’s progress, its trends, and the opportunities in the next eighteen months and over the long term. I’m developing a few strategies and would like to get your advice and comments. I would also appreciate it if you could look through my resume and I feel sure you would be able to suggest a couple of people to contact and a few companies for me to consider. I’d be happy to see you outside normal working hours if that would help. How about six o’clock one evening?
Note the same phrases recurring. The compliment and the unambiguous request for help. The suggestion that the contact should read your resume and your confidence in their ability to come up with meaningful suggestions. With this approach, there’s no likelihood of making them feel defensive or that you’re putting them on the spot because what you really want is a job in their company.
Remember that successful networkers who follow the above model and exude warmth and confidence in their communications achieve a successful outcome more quickly than the average candidate.
People are usually happy to help, provide advice, keep an eye open for you and share a few names.
Inevitably there will be some individuals on your target list that nobody you contact seems to know and you could network for months before finding somebody who does. In such cases, it is time to take stock and think who is likely to have a business or social relationship with that person.
Let’s assume you’re seeking to meet the Managing Director of the Australian subsidiary of a German manufacturer of automotive components and suppliers of goods to the white goods industry and power tools via hardware suppliers. Clearly, as an expatriate, the person is likely to be known to members of the Australian/German Chamber of Commerce or the Goethe Institute. Try and attend one of their next functions, make a few contacts and the following day phone them to establish a networking meeting. During this, mention the persons name and you may well find you have the contact you need.
Alternatively, consider that the person will be well known to the Supply Directors and Purchasing Managers of the four car manufacturing companies. Look through your records and see if you have met with anybody who is likely to know a supplier to the car manufacturers. Phone your contact and then phone the person he or she suggests and establish a networking meeting.
Other ways of obtaining a lead to a mutual contact would be to check your records for people likely to have contact with the Purchasing Managers in the leading hardware chains or white goods outlets.
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